North Shields company doubles turnover with ATM-protection system

A North-East cash machine protection company is celebrating doubling their annual turnover.

Lockpoint, based in North Shields, are behind the sophisticated Gryphon ATM-Protection system that has dramatically reduced armed robberies.

The popularity of Gryphon has led to Lockpoint doubling their annual turnover from £1.2m to £2.34m.

In 2012 Lockpoint sold nearly 1,200 Gryphons, worth more than £2 million, and further growth is predicted for 2013 as the company weighs up opportunities in overseas markets.

The protection system, which has even foiled criminals who use explosives to access ATMs, was developed at the company’s base at Orion Business Park.

Gryphon consists of four interlocking steel doors, accessing four cash drawers, connected by a sophisticated electronic locking system which will only allow one door to be open at a time.

The ‘wall of steel’ is manufactured entirely in the North East by Responsive Engineering Ltd in the Team Valley with contract manufacturer Opsol UK building the electronic circuitry in Cramlington.

The Gryphon can be retrospectively attached to any ATM machine for around £2,000.

It is now fixed to a large number of cash points across the country and is used by major banks and cash machine manufacturers.

Lockpoint lists Tesco among its clients, the supermarket giant has installed the device on the majority of its 3000 in-store ATMs since 2010.

Tim White, Tesco Head of Security, said: “I am particularly pleased with the dramatic reduction in injuries to cash-in-transit staff, together with the significant reductions in both attacks and financial losses.

“The collaboration between Tesco, G4S and Lockpoint is evidence of both innovation and true partnership.”

Lockpoint is now in talks with one of its customers to explore a joint venture to put the Gryphon through an expensive testing programme to determine precisely how well it will defend cash from robbers armed with explosive

Operations Director Colin Doyle said: “Although our Gryphon has proved its worth over the past three years by preventing losses and reducing danger for both security professionals and members of the public, we estimate that about 80 per cent of all the nation’s ATMs are still unprotected by the Gryphon, which is the only device that makes ATM robbery so difficult that it is increasingly less attractive to robbers.

“Our product resists attacks by drills, grinders and oxyacetylene torches and there is now evidence that it can also withstand attacks by gangs using explosives.”

The company is also experiencing increasing interest in its second major product, the Wyvern, an automated employee-operated centralised door locking system for banks and high-value shops, such as mobile phone outlets and jewellers.

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